The present invention generally relates to cases for storing recording media, and more particularly, relates to jewel cases for storage of optical discs. Optical discs are utilized as a storage and reproduction medium for the digital recording of music and video. As an example, compact discs (CD) and digital vidio discs (DVDs) utilize a plastic coated aluminum surface of a standard diameter and thickness. Such discs are manufactured by depositing a metal film, or polymer on an aluminum platter and, thereafter, digital information is inscribed on the surface of the disc in the form of microscopic pits. The digital format manifests itself in the spacing and length of the pits.
A protective plastic coating is formed on the surface which prevents dust or debris from reaching the etched surface.
In order to retrieve the disc information, an infrared beam from a semi-conductor laser is focused on the surface and the coherent light striking the surface is scattered by the pits thereon, which results in a digital signal. In audio applications, the digital signal is converted into an analog signal suitable for sound reproduction.
It should be appreciated that scratching and blemishing of the surface can produce a distortion of the digital signal through improper scattering of the coherent infrared light beam directed onto the surface.
Such damaging scratching and/or blemishes may be caused through the removal and insertion of the optical discs into commonly available molded plastic storage cases. Such cases typically include many sharp edges which can scratch or gouge the information bearing surface of the disc if the disc is carelessly handled. This, as hereinabove noted, may result in a loss of some of the information on the disc.
Many heretofore available plastic storage cases for optical discs were bulky, and when stacked or assembled in a library type fashion, take up more space than the optical discs themselves, which may have a thickness of, for example, 1.2 mm.
In response thereto, many compact disc storage cases have been designed in order to reduce the thickness of the case itself, and thus, improve the efficiency of storage, the number of discs which may be stored within cases in a given length. Unfortunately, such narrow cases may not provide for protection of the optical discs when multiple disc containing cases are stacked, or squeezed into a fixed length. Further, such compact optical disc cases do not provide a means for easily removing the optical disc from the case.
In addition, prior art compact optical discs cases often do not provide for preventing inadvertent removal of an optical disc from the case, if the case is opened for prior inspection of the disc before use thereof. Because the discs are loosely held within such cases, inadvertent dropping of the disc may occur when the cases are opened for user observation or removal of the disc from the case. Such handling may incur this scratching which, as hereinabove noted, is detrimental to information retrieval.
A jewel case for an optical disc having a central aperture in accordance with the present invention, generally includes a bottom, forming a first half of the case, and a top, forming a second half of the case.
A hinge, interconnecting the bottom and the top, enables manually opening and closing of the case and a hub formed in the bottom is provided for engaging the disc central aperture and for engaging a hole in the top.
Arcuate ribs are formed in the bottom in a circular pattern with a diameter suitable for accommodating the optical disc therebetween. The ribs have a height, greater than a thickness of the optical disc, for engaging the top and enabling the optical disc to float between the top and the bottom upon case closure. In this manner, compression of the case during compact storage of multiple cases, prevents pressure contact with the stored disc.
The ribs have spaces therebetween for enabling the finger tip access to the optical disc for removal of the optical disc from the hub. The feature enables secure handling of the disc during the removal from the case without sacrificing the rib function of protecting the compact disc from contact while stored within the case and for reinforcing the case.
Dimples formed in at least one of the top, and bottom and outside of the diameter of arcuate ribs, are provided and positioned approximate each of the spaces between the ribs. Such dimples prevent contact of the top and the bottom with the optical disc upon compression between the top and the bottom over the spaces between the ribs.
More particularly, the bottom may have a rectangular shape with rounded corners and the top includes a shape conforming to the bottom shape.
The hub formed in the bottom functions for centering the disc on the bottom and within the case, and more particularly, the hub includes a widened base for engaging the disc aperture in order to hold the disc to the bottom. Preferably, the widened base is formed by a plurality of upstanding ridges arranged axially around the hub at the base. This feature prevents inadvertent discharge of the disc from the case in the event of clumsy opening of the cases or inversion of the case, when the latter is in an open position.
More particularly, the hub includes a diameter smaller than a top hole diameter and a height sufficient to extend through the top hole when the case is closed. This feature facilitates opening the case as will be discussed in greater detail below.
A shoulder is preferably formed in a top of a hub around a perimeter thereof with a diameter greater than a diameter of the top hole. When protruding through the top hole, the shoulder prevents inadvertent opening of the case by hinged movement between the top and the bottom. In addition, the top is formed from a material having a flexibility enabling the top hole to be manually forced past the shoulder during manual intended opening and closing of the case.
Preferably, the intire case is molded in a single piece from flexible polyethyene and the hinge thereby formed is a so-called xe2x80x9cliving hingexe2x80x9d. Polyethyene is preferred because of its flexibility and resilience, and also because it is transparent or translucent which allows visual inspection of a contained disc without necessarily opening the case.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the dimples are formed in both the top and the bottom and the top dimples are aligned with the bottom dimples upon case closure. The case bottom may be formed with four spaces between the ribs and the space between the ribs and the space between the ribs may be centered on a radius interconnecting the hub and one of the corners. In this configuration, each one of the bottom dimples are disposed along each of the radii.
The bottom may further include an upstanding edge along a perimeter thereof and the top may further include a depending edge along a perimeter thereof. A depending edge of the top overlaps the upstanding edge of the bottom upon the case closure for preventing contamiment entry within the case. Thus, long term storage of optical disc without the dust accumulation, is provided by the present invention. In this embodiment, the bottom upstanding edge has a height approximately equal to the height of the arcuate ribs. Thus, the top and bottom edges and the ribs reinforce and provide rigidity to the case, in order to prevent bending or warping of an optical disc stored therein.